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MU researchers refine EHR technology to efficiently meet increasing health care demands

In 20 years, approximately 72 million older adults will reside in the United States, almost double the current number, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. Potential issues are compounded by the projected shortage of health care workers needed to provide elder care. As part of the solution, an interdisciplinary team of University of Missouri researchers is refining electronic health record (EHR) technology to more efficiently meet increasing health care demands.

9 Jul 2010

Blue Foundation approves grants to help uninsured Floridians access health care

According to a new report released by the Center for Disease Control, Florida ranks second in the United States for its high percentage of uninsured residents. More than 19 percent, or 3.5 million people, lacked insurance last year.

9 Jul 2010

IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

Independence Blue Cross now offers its members more personalized online information about their health – as the amazon.com experience is to the savvy shopper, the ibxpress.com experience is to the smart health care consumer. Personal health information began to flow into members' electronic health records this month – available through ibxpress.com, the company's member website.

9 Jul 2010

MSU-led research team to create new malaria prevention, control strategies in Malawi with $9.1M federal grant

As part of a continued effort to eliminate the scourge of malaria in the southern African nation of Malawi, a Michigan State University-led research team will use a $9.1 million federal grant to create new prevention and control strategies in the small, landlocked country.

9 Jul 2010

New rules pave way for veterans' PTSD disability claims

The New York Times: Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who are seeking disability benefits will get a break when new rules go into effect as early as next week.

9 Jul 2010

Move to have businesses manage Medicaid is triggering concern

The Washington Post: Since Congress passed the health overhaul, businesses that manage Medicaid "are rushing to get a foothold in states that outsource Medicaid. … But the experience in some states suggests pitfalls ahead. A recent report found that 2.7 million children on Medicaid in nine states, most of them states that outsource Medicaid, are not receiving required screenings and immunizations.

9 Jul 2010

Media outlets examine efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS worldwide

Ahead of the International AIDS Conference, set for July 18-23 in Vienna, Austria, Reuters features an interview with Gottfried Hirnschall, the new director of the WHO's HIV Department, who speaks of the need for current funds for the global HIV/AIDS programs to be used more efficiently to achieve universal access to treatment for all HIV/AIDS patients.

9 Jul 2010

U.N. report recommends changes for fragmented global aid system

"A proliferation of aid agencies, donors, and projects is fragmenting the global aid system, increasing transaction costs, and weakening efforts to reduce poverty and poor health," according to the U.N.'s recent World Economic and Social Survey (.pdf), BMJ News reports.

9 Jul 2010

Woman sues California Blue Shield for alleged safety-net insurance overcharges

Los Angeles Times: A Los Angeles woman is suing Blue Shield of California for allegedly overcharging policyholders for safety-net insurance for the jobless or sick. "Amalia Lample said in her lawsuit that Blue Shield, the state's second-largest not-for-profit insurer, knowingly exceeded maximum insurance rates set by the state and falsely reported to regulators that the charges stayed within official guidelines.

9 Jul 2010

Medicare agency releases data on hospital performance

MedPage Today: "The public can now review data on the quality of outpatient care provided by individual hospitals at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare website. The site previously contained only data on inpatient care quality. All the data are derived from records of Medicare patients treated at more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide."

9 Jul 2010

Officials look to stop 'medicalization' to stem health care costs

The Florida Times-Union: Stopping the "medicalization" of good health is being targeted again by economists and policymakers as a way to stem health care costs. "If Americans would stop thinking of certain problems in a medical context, experts argue, it might chip away at the more than $2 trillion the nation spends annually on health care.

9 Jul 2010

ITelagen to provide EHR, outsourced billing and IT support for Canterbury Medical Associates

ITelagen, a leading provider of Healthcare IT solutions, was selected by Christ Hospital to provide electronic health records (EHR) as part of an entire back-office solution that includes outsourced billing and unlimited IT support for their affiliate Canterbury Medical Associates.

9 Jul 2010

Hospitals struggle to escape unsuccessful Wall Street wagers

"Hospitals nationwide are tangling with Wall Street to get out of disastrous wagers that have complicated their financial problems," The Wall Street Journal reports.

9 Jul 2010

American, Canadian officials discuss global health developments at recent G8, G20 summits

The recent G8 summit in Canada's Muskoka region took an important step forward in improving maternal and child health in developing countries, Canadian and American officials said at a forum Wednesday in Washington, DC.

9 Jul 2010

Lawmakers, pundits offer mixed reaction to Berwick appointment

Politicians and pundits are reacting to President Barack Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to run Medicare and Medicaid, with some saying such an appointment bypasses an important process while others praise the move.

9 Jul 2010

Experts to Medicare: Don't make the same pilot errors twice

The New York Times: Congress created the new $1 billion-a-year Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to experiment with new — and possibly better or more efficient — ways to pay for and deliver health care as part of the overhaul law. But, the Center's efforts won't be Medicare's first attempts at innovation.

9 Jul 2010

KHN column -- High-risk pools: A rare opportunity for bipartisanship

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, Harold Pollack writes: "This month a key program created by the new health overhaul law, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, becomes operational in many states. Over the next 40 months, this high-risk insurance pool will provide $5 billion to cover Americans who face the dual challenges of chronic illness and uninsurance.

8 Jul 2010

CompuMed secures extended contracts with Oklahoma and Arizona's departments of corrections

CompuMed, Inc., a medical informatics and telemedicine services company, has secured extended contracts to provide its signature CardioGram™ electrocardiogram (ECG) remote interpretation systems and over-read services for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (OKDOC) and Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) at selected facilities throughout both states. The OKDOC rents 21 CardioGram systems, and the ADC owns 45 CardioGram systems.

8 Jul 2010

Elsevier and Legacy Interactive release Top Doc iPhone app for medical students, practitioners

Elsevier, a world leader in health care, medical publishing and online solutions, and video game developer and publisher Legacy Interactive(R), announced today the release of Top Doc, an iPhone app that features medical content and quizzes designed to let medical students, residents and junior faculty practice and improve their visual diagnosis skills. Elsevier and Legacy Interactive(R) developed the app's interactive format to engage and challenge users with multiple elements.

8 Jul 2010

45% of high school-age students not considering career in healthcare and science fields

Despite the projected need for healthcare practitioners at all levels in a challenging job market, nearly half of high school-age students (45 percent of 13 to 18 year-olds) are not considering pursuing a career in healthcare and science fields. The news comes as a result of a recent survey conducted online by Harris Interactive for University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

8 Jul 2010